{ Rachel Q&A } Talking Faith

Posted on Aug 24, 2015

Grab that latte and take a seat. It's time to talk faith with our model, Rachel. She divulges about her daily habits, listening to God and being a young woman of faith in today's world...She is truly a beautiful soul!

Q: Do you have any morning or evening rituals?

Unfortunately, I am SO not a morning person. "Rise and shine!" is definitely not my morning motto, so each morning is usually a battle to get out of bed for me. After I have convinced myself to get up and get going I always turn on my Pandora right away to my Kari Jobe station. It just gets me in the mood to take on the day as I get ready. After I am all ready to go, I grab a quick cup of coffee loaded with creamer and sugar if I'm not too rushed and head out the door for class! As bed time approaches, I get into my jammies and get ready to hop into my bed after a long day. I cozy up with my blankies and then I spend some time with God before drifting off. I don't have a special bedtime ritual prayer. I just talk to Him and lately I've really been trying to listen more than I talk. I find that in those moments when I come before God with my questions, with my pain, with my joys; with whatever is on my heart, it's always important to listen for Him. We can't expect an answer if we aren't listening for it. Before I end each prayer, I always ask God to give me the positivity and the strength to take on the next day, and pray that my day will be a reflection of Him.

Q: How do you feel about being a young woman of faith in today's society?

Being a young woman of faith in today's society is the bravest and most fulfilling thing a woman can be, I think. It takes courage to really stand up for what you believe in and to walk it out every day. Currently it is a fad to wear a cute outfit, walk into church, and worship amongst friends Sometimes I think we mistake being a woman of faith for a fad or trend though. We like the "fun stuff" that Christianity has to offer. While none of this is bad, if our focus isn’t on Christ, it is all a waste. But Christianity is a deep relationship with Jesus Christ. It's a relationship so fulfilling and so emotionally intimate that no other relationship can even measure up.

Q: What's a piece of advice you'd like to give to girls out there?

This little tid-bit of advice goes out to girls out there who are in the jungle we call high school or who are just starting their new adventure in college! Hold true to who you are and let your faith be your foundation. The world is constantly trying to sway us and tell us who we should be, how big our lips should be, how small our waists should be, what bag we need to own, who we should be dating, things that honestly don't have any eternal value. “For we fix our eyes not on what is see but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.”-2 Corinthians 4:18. Instead of constantly driving yourself crazy over things like that, put your focus on something that will last forever; your faith. When things get rocky, you can't find solace in that new $300 bag or those new boots you dropped your whole paycheck on. True comfort comes from knowing no matter how far you fall or how deep the pain, there is someone who is wild about you anyways and loves you anyways. He's always going to be there, and I've found no other remedy that can put my heart back together the way God can. Identity can't be found in a bag, a boy, a new lip shade...identity is found in Jesus Christ.

Q: Describe a life-changing moment in your walk of faith.

As I said before, one of the biggest "ah-ha!" moments I've had during my walk with God was realizing that I could pray and pray, but if I wasn't listening for a response then I wasn't doing myself a whole lot of good. I am constantly listening now for God's direction. Even when I am making simple everyday decisions, I go to Him with it. I may not always get the answer I want, but that's where faith comes in. I trust that even though the decision I just made may be painful or may not be what I wanted to do, He knows far better than I do. "Jesus replied, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."-John 13:7.

Q: How has your faith influenced the way you live your daily life?

One of the greatest differences in my daily life has been the fact that I am much more devoted to talking with God throughout the day. I try to look at each day as a blessing instead of a "to-do list." Growing up my mom always told me it doesn't hurt to say little prayers now and then to God during my day. I never really understood that until I started doing it. It took me almost 20 years, but I finally get it now haha. Keeping God in every part of my day has made a difference in how I do things and my overall mood throughout the day. There is no other thing in this world that can make me feel the way Jesus does just from committing my day to glorifying Him in whatever I do; no matter how big or small. Life begins once Jesus becomes the reason you live it.

Q: What is something you'd tell your younger self 5 years ago?

5 years ago I was just a few weeks away from turning 15. If someone had told me what to expect in the next couple years that followed that, I would have found a lot of what the said very hard to believe at that time. I stumbled many times and I soared many times. If I had the chance though, I would tell myself that any heartache or pain you are going to endure will be worth it. There will be a reason for everything that happens to you, and in the end everything will be okay. I would tell myself to follow the true desires of my heart and to just kick caring what other people think to the curb a lot sooner than I did. You may not be there now, but someday you’ll be exactly where you’ve always wanted to be, doing things you’ve always wanted to do. Oh, and as shocking as it sounds, Mom and Dad DO actually know what they are talking about. ;)

Q: Do you feel like you've evolved in your faith throughout your life? Is so, how?

I have absolutely evolved in my faith as I’ve gotten older. I’ve allowed myself to loosen the reins and let God take control. I’ve learned that just because something feels right doesn’t mean it is right. That was huge for me; putting God as the decision maker in my life instead of myself. Faith has become so real for me lately, not that it wasn’t before, but I’ve had to make some big decisions recently that have really put my faith to the test. Some of those decisions meant letting go of some things I thought I really wanted and instead taking on new things God put in front of me. Sometimes God sends us storms just to show us that He is the only shelter. Trials we face in our life are opportunities for us to grow closer to Him and to strengthen our faith. I truly feel the closest I’ve ever felt to God at this point in my life, and I can rest easy now knowing that I don’t have to bear every difficult decision alone; He’s got it under control.

2 comments

Rachel: August 28, 2015

Re: Lost with no friends -

That is one of the hardest things to deal with as a young woman of faith. I’ve honestly been in a very similar situation and during that time I prayed hard and I prayed often. I prayed their eyes would be opened to the destructive path they had chosen and that God would change the desires of their hearts. I would just be kind to her even when it’s hard to be and allow your joy in Christ to be very visible to her. Chasing after the things of the world never ends in any peace.
Unfortunately that’s the path she’s chose, but by living your life for God she will see what true inner contentment is and hopefully come around again. I heard a great saying that I keep close to my heart and I hope will comfort you as well: “God never allows pain without a purpose.” Keep your head up girl! :)

Lost with no friends: August 26, 2015

What would you do if a friend betrayed you and turned toward the wrong crowd?